Shopsmith Forums

I guess my next big woodworking (as opposed to carpentry) project is a new TV stand for our living room. I recently watched Steve of Woodworking For Mere Mortals build one and although I didn't like the details of his art deco inspiried design, I like the basic concept.



http://www.woodworkingformeremortals.com/2010/08/done.html

A pedestal in the back that the TV mounts to with shelving under it. My wife saw one at Wal*Mart yesterday with that same basic idea and liked it. It looked something like this:



But they wanted nearly $300 for it so I told her I could build one with a couple sheets of MDF and a lot less money.

What I'd like to do is use some of Steve's ideas and some of my own. Here is my list of things I'd like to achieve or ideas to try to incorporate.

• TV mounts to pedestal via french cleat instead of expensive mounting bracket
• Pedestal is hollow for cable management. Power strip attached inside pedestal for power connections.
• Pedestal and mount is strong enough to hold my 52" LCD TV.
• Middle shelf is adjustable within a couple inches up and down from the center point between the top and bottom shelf.

Here's a sketchup model I threw together real quick.

[ATTACH]10309[/ATTACH]

I haven't taken accurate measurements or built joinery into the model yet. Just figuring out the basics of what I'm wanting to do. I kind of like the legs outside the shelves as opposed to inside as in Steve's stand and the image above. This would also allow the middle shelf to be adjustable. I tried to put a curve on the legs, but wasn't quite able to do what I really wanted there! I also like the wood legs contrasting with the black (MDF) shelves. And the only thought I've put into finishing is to paint the MDF black, then maybe a few coats of lacquer on it? But there's plenty of time to figure that out.

Any thoughts from the experts here?

What kind of joinery should I use on the legs?

Would two layers of 3/4" MDF be strong enough for the pedestal?

Since my shop is packed up right now, I'll be using a friend's shop. He might could help me out with some of the design elements too, but since I'll be away from home and using someone else's shop for this project, I want to have everything well planned before I get started.

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A double pedestal would be more sturdy and make the french cleat not be concerned with rotating. That would allow running ac and signal wiring in separate pedestals. It would also support the rear of the shelves better.

I am not too fond of single pylon support! JMHO

Not sure MDF is a good material for pedestal(s).

I'm not sure I would trust MDF with a 52" TV. You could achieve the same results with paint grade birch plywood with the added advantages of far greater strength and shelves that stay flat. Even then I would edge the shelves with a "facia" trim that was more than 3/4 wide to further resist the tendency to sag. If you don't want to deal with plywood edges on the pedestal make it a mitered box. Just a few thoughts.

Paul M

Hi,

The one I built 2 years ago has some things in common with your ideas. I used recycled black-coated particleboard. The TV is very heavy so I put a few walnut "struts" between layers to make it strong. It is holding up very well.
A picture is here:
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/attachm ... 1219706425

Great ideas!

The back corners of the shelves are actually at 45 degrees (from the back) of the shelf). That's so the whole unit could fit in a corner if needed since my wife likes to rearrange rooms frequently!

(EDIT: D'oh! I just realized that 135 degrees is the other side of the 45 degree angle!)

I like the dovetails idea for the shelf to leg joinery. That would look sharp. Could I pull it off? I've never done a dovetail before. I don't know, I'll think about it. Using a material like MDF or even plywood for the shelves gives me more pause for concern there.

I'm not sure how I like an extra set of legs on the back of the shelves, but a double pedestal might work for me. I had thought about the potential rotating with the french cleat and that would solve that problem.

As for the shelves sagging, I thought I recalled seeing a chart sometime back dealing with the thickness of material, weight it could hold, and its sagging properties and that MDF was less resistant to sagging than plywood. I'll have to see if I can hunt it down again.

What's the price difference between paint grade birch plywood and MDF?

I'd be concerned about sagging in the center given the width of the TV stand. You'll have quite a bit of weight in the center with the TV and other electronic components on those other shelves. Perhaps some sort of cantilever support tied to the back upright for each shelf or another leg in the center would provide the additional support necessary. A central leg would affect the appearance of the stand, but setting it back from the front edge of the shelves could possibly work.

Keep in mind the TV will not sit on that top shelf. The TV will mount to the pedestal as if it were mounted to a wall. The shelves would contain the other electronic devices (Xbox 360, DishTV receiver, etc).

You might want to have a steel plate to actually attach the TV to, then 'embed' that in the wood. MDF is nice, but steel is steel. The holes are generally set at a standard spacing, at least I haven't seen any that aren't.

Derek in Surrey, B.C.

Here's a thought...if weight and shelf sagging is a concern consider using 3/4" angle iron recessed and screwed to the MDF shelving. Spray paint the angle iron black using the "hammered" finish which will match nicely with the black shelves. I used this approach in our kitchen cabinets where the shelving was to long to support much weight. It worked beautifully and looks good too.